Locomotive-feed-water heater and purifier



Sept. 1, 1925. 1,551,727

E. H. BLUNT LOCOMOTIVE FEED WATER HEATER AND PURIFIBR Filed March 1. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR lid/111010. HEB] zmi y I v I 'ATTORNE)" Sept. 1, 1925* 1,551,727

E.. H. BLUNT LOCOMOTIVE FEED WATER HEATER A-ND PURIFIER Filed March 1; 1921 3 sheet -sheet 2' EX M usT.

- a HDTWATE INVENTOR A from/Er Sept. 1, 1925 1,551,727

' v E. H. BLUNT I Ldcduonvs FEED WATER HEATER AND PURIFIER Filed March 1, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 3: IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IN VE N TOR I Za'nugzdflfilmz BY 4 A ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

EDMUND BLUNT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

LOCOMOTIVE-FEED-WATER HEATER AND PURIFIER.

Application filed March 1, 1921. Serial No. 448,778.

To all whom it may concern.v Be it known that I, EDMUND H. BLUNT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loco motive-Feed-WVater Heaters and Purifiers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to feed Water heaters and more particularly to such as may be applied to locomotive boilers.

lVhile the application of a feed Water heater to locomotive boilers has not been general in any sense, its desirability in this connection is fully appreciated and it is recognized that great economy would result if a proper feedwater heater could be designed for such use. Of the two recognized types,

namely closed or pressure heaters and open or non-pressure heaters, the latter is by far the preferable in View of its smaller size, absence of serious temperature and boiler pressure stresses, the elimination of scale and other impurities and a direct saving of the water of condensation. However, such an open type heater requires in locomotive use, a cold water pump for spraying the condensing water and in overcoming back principle.

pressure. It necessitates, also, the use of hot water pumping apparatus for removing the heated water from the heater and for-the purpose of delivering same under pressure to the boiler. While the theoretical advantage of an installation of this character may be readily determined, the trouble heretofore has always been to properly incorporate the Attempts have been made, experimentally, with heater apparatus, but the same have resulted generally in failure, due to one cause or another. It has been found, for example, that an injector cannot be employed to operate with an open type of heater and that the substitution of a pump or pumps for the usual injector involves difficulties; and the successful solution of the problem depends to a great extent-0n the pumping portion of the combination.

It will be appreciated, also, that when the feed water heater apparatus is to be applied to the side of a locomotive boiler, which appears to be the only practicable place to install it, that there are limits imposed in connection with its installation which prohibit the heater from extending much above and below, for example, the running board of upper end of heater chamber, the range of high water andv lower water levels is extremely limited and the problem of regulation of the same is of very great importance, as the lack of a reliable and efficient regulation means a failure of the apparatus as a whole. It will be found, furthermore, that a predetermined ratio between the volume of injection and ejection water 'is required to maintain the water level in the heaterwithin comparatively narrow limits; also, that means should be available to allow of avariation in this ratio during different seasons of the year, due to the different percentage of steam condensed; and that, moreover, proper facilities must be afforded to take care of any surplus water of condensation.

Having in consideration the various limitations and requirements aforesaid, my invention has for its object a simple and com pact locomotive feed Water heater and purifier which not onlyhpnay conveniently and properly be located; the locomotive, but is capable of giving continuous and efficient operation under the various service condi-. tions met with.

The nature of the invention will, however, best be understood When described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a locomotive having a feedwater heater attached to the side.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the parts shown inFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of the line 62- 1 of Fig. 3.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts thruout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the feed water heater apparatus forming the subject matter of the present invention, 12 designates the runmng card of the loco- -hich fixes, for example, the upper of the installation, the lower limit bedrivmg wheels 13 and assohe 'a tppaiatus itself consists essentially portion connected as by means tnc pipe 21 with, for example, the source exhaust steam from the locomotive. The *ering steam may be distributed in any suitable manner therein to meet with the cold condensing water which is introduced as thru an inlet water supply pipe 22, cold ter being preferably sprayed into the stems to be heated thereby and then collected the bottom of the heater 20.

3e hottom of the heater is provided with an ou et conduit 23 for the heated water, conduit connecting with the pumping echanism hereinafter described and which mechanism also controls the supply of the c d or injected water for condensing the n in the heater 20, The heater is so locad with reference to the hot water pump secure the maximum head of heated water for any given vertical height, and so to insure, also, that gravity will assist the :tlow of heated water into the pump cylinder.

For efi'ecting the delivery of cold injection water to the heater and removal of the heated ejection water therefrom, I employ a single acting cold water pump and a single aci'og hot water pump, said pumps being so combined into a unit that they utilize single pump barrel 27 in which there is arranged to travel a piston 28 operated thru piston rod 29. The latter is actuated from a suitable prime mover, for example, that indicated by the steam cylinder 30. The suction valves 31 of the hot water pump are preferably placed at the lowest practical level in order that the greatest effective head may be provided and the most direct pathway oi the hot water to the pump afforded thereby and thus reducing the friction head. lhe hot water pump is connected thru an outlet valve or valves 32 with a pipe 33 thru which is delivered the heated feedwa'tcr to the locomotive boiler. A suitable air chamber 33' maybe provided in the die livery pipe 33.

in connection with the upper portion or piston rod end of the barrel 27, a suction valve 84 for the cold inlet water is provided as well as an outlet valve 35 thru which and the pipe 22 the cold water is forced to the spray apparatus and the heater 20 for the purpose of being heated by the steam supplied thereto, as is well understood. The

. degree of pressure under which this injection water is to be supplied is determined by g 'avity, the possible back pressure of the main exhaust steam an the friction losses to be overcome; and, similarly, the pressure under which the hot ejection water is to be supplied is made to conform to the working bo ler pressure.

The cold or injection water should apquickly flood the heater unless the amount o' injection water is less than the hot water removed; and as such amount of water of condensation may reach 15% or more of the total injection water, the excess may be too large in amount to be safely or conveniently handled by an ordinary type of float c0ntrolled valve. In the construction set forth, a ready means is afforded for predetermining and also of changing, it required, the ratio between the injected and ejected water s that any excess due to condensation can bev made so small as to be readily removed by a comparatively small float and small pipe, this excess being returned to a suitable source such as the cold water supply, or run oil as waste. As one such means, I have shown a float 40 mounted for vertical movement in the heater 20 and adapted, as it reciprocates, t control thru a link 41 an outlet valve 42. The link 41 carries a cam member bearing on the outer end of a valve stem 43 of the outlet valve 42 to control said valve for the removal of the surplus water, which may be returned to or towards the source of supply or discharged as Waste. In the specific form shown, a by-pass connection 42 connects the discharge or spray pipe 22 with the cold Water inlet or suction pipe 22. When the water level in the heater is below a predetermined point, the cam 43' acting on the stem 43 serves to wedge and hold the valve closed, but when the water level goes above the desired point, the cam permits the .'-valve to open and part of the cold water is by-passed back to the suction 22 or is led. to any other desired point.

To predetermine the ratio between the injected and ejected water, the diameter of the piston ifod 29 may be so selected that its excess displacement will equal that percentage of pondensed steam which experience and experiments will have shown not to be objectionable. course, thzitgthe stufling boxes or glands, or both, for-:th'e piston rod will have to be accordin'glyaltered to accommodate different sizes of piston rod. I prefer, however, to

have the piston rod 29 of moderate diameter and to provide sleeves of various required diameters, for example, as the sleeve 45 shown, which sleeve is designed to he slipped over the piston rod, bearing against the'bottom of steam piston and top of water piston, as shown, to conform to various service conditions. Corresponding stufiing boxes or glands will then be provided there for, as the stufiing boxes 46, etc.

The construction aforesaid is particularly simple and efiicient, two pump actions being secured within the limits and length of a single pump barrel and effective with a single piston and piston rod. This results in.the elimination of two extra stuffing boxes, an extra pump cylinder and the corresponding clearances required by an alternate design of pump which would otherwise have added to the length of the apparatus. Such increase in the vertical or longitudinal dimension would, in many cases, prohibit the installation of a heater on locomotives .where the limits are particularly close.

I not functioning, the heater will be ineffectual to heat the feed-water, in that there is substantially no exhaust steam being supplied to the heater. I have found it desirable, in order to obviate such a condition, to provide an auxiliary source of steam supply, preferably exhaust steam, which will be automatically available as soon as the main sourcefitails. To this end, there may be uti lized, for example, live steam or the exhaust from steam operated auxiliary apparatus, as

the air pump 50, the said exhaust steam normally passing thru the exhaust pipe 51 in the usual manner to the stack (not shown). There is included, if found necessary, in said exhaust pipe a pressure regulatingvalve 52 which will serve to maintain a predetermined maximum pressure in the portion-of the exhaust pipe between the valve and air pump. This pressure may be so chosen as to exceed the pressure in the heater 20 when steam from locomotive exhaust is no longer I being supplied in sufiicient amounts to said heater, A by-pass connection 53 is taken from the exhaust pipe 51 to the said heater between the regulating valve and pump, and

p a check valve 54 interposed, so that as long as the pressure in the heater 2O exceeds that of the exhaust pipe 51 no steam will How in either direction thru the connection 53. However, when the main supply to the heater fails, the pressure of the auxiliary supply from the air pump or like apparatus will cause the valve 54 to open and steam to be furnished to the heater to continue the heating of the feed water, thus insuring continuous operation during the various service conditions prevaleutin locomotive operatiom This renders the operation automatic and prevents large amounts of cold water entering the boiler during periods of drifting;

, and the attention of the engineer is not then diverted to shutting down the feed water 5 ppmpr Furthermore, the auxiliary appabecause of the excessive back pressure on auxiliaries that would be established thereby.

It is preferred, also, to include a check valve-55 in the main exhaust supply pipe 21 to insure the exhaust from the auxiliary apparatus entering the heater, when required and prevent possible reverse flow thru the pipe 21.

To. divert scale and impurities, a plate or 'bafile 56 protects the pum inlet 23, the flow of ejected water following the general directions of arrow, Fig. 4;. By means of a vertical baflle 57, the suction is taken from lowest part of the apparatus, thereby preventing floating material and accidental oil from entering the heated water supply pipe 23. I

4 I claim 1. In a locomotive open type feed water heater, a heater vessel, a pump cylinder, a

single piston reciprocating in' said cylinder,

for forcing a definite volume of cold water into said heater vessel at each upward stroke of the piston and withdrawing a definite but larger volume of hot water from said vessel into the bottom of said cylinder at the same time, means for conducting steam to said heater vessel to be condensed by and mingled with the water therein, the volumetric displacement of the upper cold water end of the piston being less than the volumetric displacement of thelower hot water end of the piston by an amount determined by the cross-sectional area of the piston rod and the difference in the displacement between the cold and hot water sides of the piston being substantially equal to the normal volume of the condensate formed in the heater vessel.

2. In a locomotive open type feed water heater, a heater vessel, a pump cvlinder. a single piston reciprocating in said cylinder for forcing a certain volume of cold water into said heater vessel at each upward stroke of the piston and withdrawing a certain but larger volume of hot water from said vessel into the bottom of said cylinder at the same time, means for conducting steam to said heater vessel to be condensed by and mingled with the water therein, the volumetric displaccment of the upper cold water end of the piston being less than the volumetric displacement of the lower hot water lot .placement of the upper cold water end of the piston being less than the volumetric displacement of the lower hot water end of the piston by an amount determined by the cross-sectional area of the piston rod, a cold water by-pass connected between the upper cold water end of the cylinder and the heater vessel, a valve in said by-p'ass adapted to be opened by the pressure of water in said bypass, and means operated bychanges of water level in said heater vessel for limiting movement of said valve.

4:. An open type feedwater heater comprising a heating vessel, means for admitting steam thereto, separate means for admitting cold water to said vessel, a hot water outlet from said vessel, a single pump cylinder and piston having a substantially vertical axis, valve-controlled inlet means and outlet means for cold water at the upper end of said cylinder, a valve-controlled inlet for hot water at the lower endof the same cylinder, and a valve-controlled outlet for hot water from the lower end of said cylinder, the effective area of the cold water end of the piston being materially less than the effective area of the hot water end of said piston.

5. An open type feedwater heater comprising a heating vessel, means for admitting steam thereto, a hot water outlet from said vessel, a single cylinder and piston for forcing cold water into said vessel when the piston moves in on direction and forcing a greater volume of hot water from said cylinder when the piston moves in the opposite direction. the volume of hot water pumped being the same on each hot water pumping stroke for a given supply of steam and a given stroke of the piston, a float in the liquid space of said vessel and means controlled thereby for maintaining the water level in said vessel substantially constant.

6. An open type feedwater heater comprising a heating vessel, means for normally admitting steam thereto, a pump cylinder and piston, one end of said cylinder being connected to a cold water supply and to said vessel for drawing cold water into said cylinder when the piston moves in one direction and forcing the cold'water into said vessel when the piston moves in t e opposite direction. an auxiliary conduit or automatically admitting steam to said vessel, a connection between said vessel and one end of said cylinder for drawing hot water into said cylinder when cold water is being forced into said vessel, and an outlet from said cylinder for discharging'hot water from said cylinder when cold water is being drawn in at the opposite end, and means for maintaining a pressure in said auxiliary conduit sufficient to admit steam to said heater vessel automatically from the auxiliary steam conduit when the normal supplyof steamvfails.

7. An open type feed water heater comprising a heater vessel, means for admitting steam thereto during normal operations, a hot water out-let from said vessel, a single pump cylinder and piston for forcing cold water into said vessel when the piston moves in one direction and drawing'hot water from said vessel when the piston moves in the same direction, a conduit for auxiliary steam supply to said heater vessel, means for maintaining a pressure in said conduit sufiicient to automatically admit steam to said heater vessel from the auxiliary steam supply when the normal supply of steam fails, a cold water by-pass connected between said pump cylinder and said heater vessel, a valve in said. by-pass adapted to be opened by the pressure of water in said by-pass, and means operated by the increase in water level above a predetermined'point for permitting said valve to be opened by the water pressure exerted by the pump. p

8. In an open type feed water heater, a heating and mixing v'essel, means for admitting exhaust steam tothe upper part thereof, a valve controlled hot water outlet at the lower end thereof, a spray head for admitting-cold water to said vessel at a point above the normal water level in the vessel, pumping means for forcing the same volume of cold water through said spray head into said vessel at each alternate stroke and withdrawing at the same time a greater volume of hot water from said vessel, the volume of hot water pumped into said heater vessel being the same at each pumping stroke for a given length of stroke, means controlled by the pressure of exhaust steam in said vessel for admitting an auxiliary supply of exhaust steam to said vessel when the steam pressure in said vessel falls below a predetcrmined value.

9. In a locomotive feedwater heater, a heater vessel, a pump for forcing cold water into said vessel and for withdrawing hot water therefrom, means for conducting ex-.

haust steam from the locomotive cylinders .to said heater vessel for heating the water therein, means for conducting an auxiliary supply of steam to said vessel in case of failure of the supply of exhaust steam from the cylinders, and a regulating valve in said auxiliary steam conducting means for maintaining a pressure therein insuflicient for flow of exhaust steam from the cylinders but sufficient to cause a flow into said vessel in case of failure ofthe normal flow of exhaust steam from the cylindersand means for normally exhausting the auxiliary sup ply independently of said locomotive cylinder exhaust.

10. In a locomotive feedwater heater, a heater vessel, a pump for forcing cold water into said vessel and for withdrawing hot I water'therefrom, means for conducting exhaust steam from the locomotivecylinders to said heater vessel for heating the water therein, means for conducting an auxiliary supply of steam to said vessel in case of failure of the supply of exhaust steam from the cylinders, and a regulating valve in said auxiliary steam conducting means for permitting a pressure therein suflicient to cause a flow of auxiliary steam into said vessel in case of failure of the normal steam supply fromthe cylinders and means for normally exhausting the auxiliary supply independently of said locomotive cylinder exhaust.

' 11. In a locomotive fecdwater heater, an open type heater vessel, pumpnneans for forcing cold water into said vessel and for withdrawing a greater volume of hot water therefrom, means for normally conducting exhaust steam to the heater vessel for heatthe water therein, means for conducting an auxiliary supplyof steam to vessel incase of failure of the normal supply of exhaust steam, and a check valve in one of said steam conducting means opening to-- ward said vessel for preventing a flow of steam from one. of said conducting means to the other and means for normally per:

mitting the exhaust of said auxiliary suP- ply independently of the normal exhaust steam supply and means for maintaining a pressure of auxiliary steam. supply suflicient to open said check valve on a decrease of the, normal supply of exhaust steam ona predetermined minimum.

12. In a feedwater heater, a heater vessel,

ancans for conducting steam to said vessel,

means for introducing cold water into said vessel, a constant water level valve, adapted to be opened by the pressure of water a float in said vessel, and means actuated by vsaid float and acting on said valve for holding the latter closed when the water level in said vessel is below a' predetermined point, said-means r permitting said valve, to

be openedfiby the pressure of water to a limited amount proportionately to the rise of waterleveliu the heater vessel above a predetermined point.

13. In a feed water heater a heater vessel, pumping means for ,forcin 'cold water into said vessel {and drawing said vessel, means for conducting steam to said vessiaij, a "by-pass fprco1d water from metric displacement of 0t water from pressure of cold Water from said pumping means, and a float operated means controlled by changes of the water level in said vessel for preventing the movement of said valve when the water level is below a certain height but permitting said valve to be opened by the water pressure when the water level rises above a predetermined height in Said vessel.

14. In a feedwater heater, a heater vessch-means for introducing steam into said vessel, pump means including a cylinder and piston for introducing cold water into said vessel and withdrawing hot water therefrom, a conduit connecting said heater vesselifith the hot water pumping unit, and an inlet valve in said hot water conduit below the lower end of said piston for admitting hot water to said cylinder.

15.,ln a feedwater heater, a heater vessel, means for introducing steam into said vessel, pump means for introducing cold water into said vessel and withdrawing hot water therefrom, a conduit connecting said heater vessel with the hot water pumping 'unit, said conduit including an inlet valve .casing removably secured to said hot water 16. In an open type feedwater heater, a

heater vessel, means for conducting steam thereto, a reciprocating pump means for forcing cold water into said vessel and withdrawing hot water therefrom, the volumetric displacement of thecold water pumping unit being materiall .less than the Volue hot water pumping unit, conduits connecting the heater vessel with the cold and hot water pumping unit, and a plurality of hot water inlet valves in the conduit connected to the hot water pumping unit and located below the lower end of said hot water pumping unit.

17; Ina locomotive open type feedwater heater, a heater vessel, means for conducting steam to said heater vessel, 21 single pump cylinder and single piston therein for forcing cold water into said vessel and withdrawing hot water therefrom, a piston rod for actuating said piston and located in the cold ma ens of said cylinder, a sleevesurrounding said rod and passing to the outside of said cylinder for reducing the volumetric displacement of thecold water end of said pump.

18.. In a locomotive feedwater heater, a

heater vessel, pump means for forcing cold water into said vessel and for withdrawing hotwater therefrom, means for normally.

conducting exhaust steam .to the hea'terves, sel for heating the water therein, means to said vessel in case of failure of the normal supply of exhaust steam, a check valve in each of said steam conducting means and opening toward said vessel for preventing a flow of steam from one of said conducting means to the other, and means for normally permitting-the escape of the auxiliary supply of steam independently of the normal supply of exhaust steam, and means for maintaining pressure in the auxiliary supply of steam suflicient to open the check valve in said auxiliary supply of steam when the normal supply of steam fails.

19. In a'locomotive feedwater heater, a heater vessel, pump means for forcing cold water into said vessel and for withdrawing hot water therefrom, means for normally conducting exhaust strain to the heater vessel for heating the water therein, means for conducting an auxiliary supply of steam to said vessel in case of failure of the normal supply of exhaust steam, a check valve in said auxiliary steam supply means and opening toward said vessel, and a regulating valve in said auxiliary steam supply means for maintaining a pressure of steam therein, andmeans for normally disposing of the auxiliary supply of steam independently of the main supply of exhaust steam.

20. In a locomotive feedwater heater, a heater vessel, pump means for forcing cold water into said vessel and for withdrawing hot water therefrom, means for normally conducting exhaust steam to the heater vessel for heating the water therein, means for conducting an auxiliary supply oi steam to said vessel in case of failure of the normal supply of exhaust steam, a check val. in each of said steam conducting means and opening toward said vessel, and a regulating valve in said auxiliary steam conducting means for maintaining a steam pressure therein and means for normally preventing the auxiliary supply of steam from inter- ,t'ering with. the normal supply 'of exhaust steam.

21. In a locomotive open-type feed water heater, a heater vessel, a pump cylinder, a reciprocating piston therein for forcing the same volume of cold water into said vessel at each pumping stroke and withdrawing hot water therefrom, the volume of hot water withdrawn from said vessel each suction stroke being substantially the same, means for conducting steam to said heater vessel to mingle with the water therein, the

volumetric displacement of the cold water? pumping means being less than the volu .metric displacement of the hot'water pumppart of the condensate, means for augment ing the supply of steam to said vessel in case of substantial decrease of the normal supply of steam, and means for maintaim cylinder, 2 single pi tonrecipr: u said cylinder i'or tori-mg a certain by the increase in water; level in said heater mg means so as to allow ,at least for -New'York and State or between the cold and hot water a ments, valve-controlled inlet means and artlet means for cold water at the upper end of said cylinder, a valve-controlled inlet for hot water at the lower end of the same cylinder, a valve-coni'zrollcd outlet for hot water from the lower end of said cylinder. and means controlled by slight increase in the water level in said vessel to? decreasing 'he rate of supply of cold water to saic. vcs- 3,.

23. ln-an open type feed water heater, heater vessel, means for conducting; steam theret0,' pumping means for forcing cold. water into said vessel and withdrawinphot water therefrom, the volumetric disyilz ment of the cold water pumping unit l tig materially less than the volumetric dispi, ment of the hot water pumping un' con- 4"" duits connecting the heater vessel viii the cold and hot water pumping unit, plurality of hot water inlet valves in the conduit connected to the hot ater pumping; unit i located below the lower end of said rot ter pumping unit, and means for maintl 'ning a substantially constant water level in said'heater vessel.

24. A locomotive open type :teed water heater comprising a heater vessel, a pin of cold water into said heater vessel a upward stroke of the piston and witlid ing a certain larger volume of hot war 3359 from said vessel into the bottom oi said cylinder at each upward stroke of the is ton, means for conducting exhaust steam to said heater vessel to be condensed by and mingle with the water therein, the v metric displacement of the upper cold end of the piston heiii less than the vol metric displacement or the lower hot ter end of the piston by an amount mined by the crosssectional piston rod, a cold water returi' ing its inletfend connected. be water end of said cylinder and of discharge of said heater i "ii for cont-rolling the passage through said conduit and means vessel by a predatemined-height for cpcnmg said valve;

Signed at New 28th day of February, 

